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ARCHITECTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL F oam board and foam products are inexpensive and versatile, and that is why they are so popular in the sign and digital graphics industry. From pop-up displays and exhibits to dimensional sig- nage, foam fuels people's creativity. High-density urethane started getting popular in the 1990s as a replacement for wood. This foam product can be CNC routed and painted, and it is much easier to work with because it is so much lighter than wood, says Brad Burnett, HDU sales representative for DUNA USA Inc., which makes CORAFOAM. It is also waterproof because water can't be absorbed into it, which makes it perfect for outdoor uses. Wood comes in thin sheets that then must be laminated together and planed down. Foam is "ready to work right away," he says. With wood, you have to be careful of the wood grain, but with HDU, there is no grain. "The dimen- sional capabilities of being able to cus- tomize it are much greater. It cuts and carves like butter." Most people use DUNA's foam for exterior and interior signs. They use them in monument signs, channel letters, fascia signs, address plaques, golf course signage, hanging signs and signs that are hung between posts. CORAFOAM does have to be painted. C O R A F OA M was invented for the sign industry 20 years ago and the for- mulation has never been changed—and it never will, says Burnett. "The stuff is very strong and very smooth, which is also a benefit. It pro- duces chips instead of dust when it is cut on a machine. Chips and shavings are much nicer to work around; no dust clouds everywhere," he says. CORAFOAM starts out as a liquid. Two different chemicals are poured F O A M B O A R D A P P L I C A T I O N S Unleashing your creativity with foam boards for signage B Y P A U L A A V E N G L A D Y C H Paula Aven Gladych is a freelance writer based in Denver. 18 • June 2017 • S I G N & D I G I T A L G R A P H I C S The sign is made with DUNA USA's high-density CORAFOAM board. (Photo courtesy of House of Signs) Board Games